(Click to enlarge pictures)
Having been to Nathan Bedford Forrest, it was only
appropriate that we pay another visit to the object of his battle, namely, Johnsonville,
site of his historic capture of Union Naval vessels. There’s not a lot left of
it today inasmuch as it, like Fort Henry, was inundated with the construction
of Kentucky Lake, but the site of the town itself is memorialized at this
interesting State Historic Park.
Sadly, there is no interpretive site (budget cuts, I suppose) but there is a
pretty fair trail guide available, and this monument reflects the names of the
families who once dwelled here.
There’s about six miles of total trails,
with plenty to see along the way. There’s some obvious fortifications (in vain,
it turned out!) and a surprising amount of relief, much as at Nathan Bedford
Forrest, only more compact. It’s a little closer to home too, being in “Bumphus” county, as my brother calls it…here P. J. affects
a “coy” look at a scenic overlook.
I would guess this is a vine of some sort
that appears to be strangling this tree. It rather looks like a larger version
of my hiking staff.
My handsome son and I,
one of my favorite pictures of the two of us, and then, a rosy-cheeked grin on
a brisk February afternoon.
The main attraction though, at least for
Peej, was the lake, and especially the shore, where he looked for shells (of
which there were plenty) and fossils (none we saw) and where he “pitched a dog”
when I told him he couldn’t take any home with him…the “leave no trace” and
“take nothing but pictures” business is tough for an eight-year-old to take
sometimes!
Still, you do get to see things you
wouldn’t ordinarily see, like this float of barges making its way up the river.
As I recall, Peej waved at them, and the pilots must’ve spotted him, as they
tooted their horn!
And then there was this thing. No, I have no idea what it was. A
camouflaged boat? Somebody’s wildly elaborate
duck blind? A new stealth watercraft? Your guess is as
good as mine…
Finally it was time to go home, but we
made a stop along the way. I had no idea of the significance of the caboose
along Highway 70 in Waverly, but I’m glad Peej insisted we stop. This memorial
is the site of a massive (how massive? Shell heard it all the way in Lyles, 25
miles away) train explosion back in 1978. What (very) basically happened was
this: a train derailed just outside of downtown Waverly on
The caboose, then, is a memorial building
containing artifacts of the disaster, videos running on loops of the actual
news footage of the day, newspaper clippings, and more…
…including these poignant
handwritten “Black Friday” notes by the local Red Cross chapter chairman.
Left: warning lights that will never be used
again. Right Peej checks out the back of the caboose. Interestingly, it is
positioned in the exact location of the fateful tanker car. This is definitely
a “must-see” if you are in the Waverly area, not just for the historic aspect,
but in combination with a visit to Johnsonville, it could almost be a case
study of two towns that were devastated; one slowly, one suddenly. Both came
back. Such is the resilience of the Tennessean.
Left: Peej climbs aboard. Right: as we
finished our visit, we heard the mournful sound of a train whistle, and managed
to get this shot of a CSX freight going past, that close. I wonder if today’s engineers pause as they pass,
perhaps say a prayer…I know I did…
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